Maneuvers
by luvsanime02
Summary: Heero and Relena are ready to start up their business. Their first client? Dorothy Catalonia. This is the sixth story in Navigation, a fem!Heero series.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** **:** I don't own Gundam Wing, and am making no money off of this fic.

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 **Maneuvers** by luvsanime02

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Chapter 1

Heero gets back from an early morning run to see Relena waiting for her outside of her apartment.

"What's wrong?" she asks, concern rising up within her at the sight of her friend standing there so early, especially since they didn't have any plans to meet up. "Where's your security detail?"

As soon as she asks, Heero realizes the question is pointless. Relena's no longer involved in politics officially, which means she's no longer so high profile that she needs constant watching. Still, Heero hopes that Relena is keeping a security detail at her home, even if she goes out on her own.

Relena looks up at Heero's voice and smiles. "Good morning, Heero. I should have known you'd be out even though it's so early."

Heero freely admits that she's never been one to sleep in. She moves around Relena to open the door and let her walk inside. Heero hopes that Relena hasn't been waiting out in her hallway for too long. Whether or not she's quit her position as Vice Foreign Minister, Relena's still connected to too many people in high places, such as her brother, to ever be entirely safe. Not to mention she was almost kidnapped two weeks ago.

Once they're inside, Relena waits in the living room while Heero takes a quick shower. When she comes back out, she sits down next to her friend. "What's up?"

"I can't come over just to see you?" Relena asks. She's trying to sound hurt, but the humor in her voice is overriding everything else.

Heero leans her head back against the couch, her damp hair soaking into the cushion. "You can," she agrees. "But you never come over without checking if I'm here first."

Relena's also never come over this early before. It's not even seven. "That's true," Relena admits. "There's nothing wrong, though. I just had an idea that I wanted to run by you."

Heero quirks an eyebrow in interest, and looks over at her friend. Relena seems excited about something, now that Heero's paying proper attention. "What is it?" Whatever has Relena this energized is guaranteed to be interesting.

"Well," Relena says, turning to lean her back against the arm of the couch and prop her feet up on the seat next to Heero's leg, "I was wondering what you think about us going into business together."

Heero blinks. She's not sure which part of that to address first. "What business?" Heero honestly didn't think that Relena's next move would be to open up a private business.

Relena smiles mischievously. "Oh, something along the lines of private investigation and security."

Heero takes a couple of seconds to ponder that, and feels her own lips pulling up into a small grin. "You're talking about doing what Preventers does, only with just the two of us."

"Sort of," Relena admits shamelessly. "Just us at first, yes, but I do want to expand later on. And it wouldn't just be a peace-keeping force like Preventers. We'd be working more with individuals than organizations. At least, for now."

For now. In other words, Relena has some sort of long-term plan. This business she's talking about starting up would just be the first step. Looking into Relena's eyes, Heero sees that sharp determination and fearlessness she's come to expect, yet suddenly realizes has been absent in Relena for a long time now.

"I'm in," she decides impulsively. She has no idea what Relena's up to, but hell, Heero needs to make some kind of decision about her own life, and something tells her that she's not going to regret this. It'll be a welcome change, her and Relena working together.

Relena grins at her, and then reaches over and hugs Heero, quick but heartfelt. "Thank you, Heero."

Heero waits until Relena sits back before continuing. "So, what are we really doing?" she asks.

"What do you think about ruling the world?" Relena asks, idly smoothing out her skirt before looking back up at Heero.

Heero stares at her friend. "I think it sounds like a lot of work," she says truthfully. It's certainly never been one of her goals.

Relena muffles a laugh against her hand. "I guess you don't want to rule the entire Sphere of Humanity then, either?"

When she takes a minute to think about it, Heero understands what Relena's saying. Her plan involves more than Earth; it encompasses the whole of humanity. The main problem with fairly governing humanity has always been its division. And that problem's only grown more exasperated the longer humans have been leaving Earth and living among the stars.

Heero shakes her head. "Not especially," she answers finally, her voice wry. "You'd never be able to take a vacation ever again." She's not speaking so much about herself, of course, but offering Relena a warning. After all, they're not truly talking about what Heero wants to do.

Relena nods. "Technically, if you didn't trust the people around you, that would be true."

And of course Relena's smart enough not to surround herself with incompetent or untrustworthy people. Heero sighs, but she's already committed herself to Relena's idea. Still. "Are you sure? Nothing like finally retiring only to become a dictator."

That makes Relena giggle, leaning against the couch and hugging her stomach. "Don't be silly, Heero," she scolds mockingly. "I'm only talking about political reform, not dictatorship."

Right. Heero believes that, absolutely. She hopes the skeptical look she gives Relena conveys her extreme disbelief.

Stifling her laughter, Relena shakes her head at Heero's antics, though she's still smiling. "No, really. I suppose 'ruling the world' was too strict a phrase to use. What I want is more like 'refashioning everything into an actual working and cohesive order'."

Heero blinks. That sounds doable. Difficult, but doable. "Dictator," is all she says, though, just to hear Relena protest some more. The pillow Heero gets hit with in the face in retaliation is totally worth it, and soon they're calming down and starting to outline a feasible plan together.

Yeah, Heero's already glad that she agreed to help Relena with this. Reforming the entire Sphere of Humanity sounds like a decent enough objective to keep Heero occupied. For now.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Really, Heero should have expected who their first client would end up being. She still can't help but glare at the screen showing her the cool and confident face of Dorothy Catalonia. Why Relena can't ever seem to say no to the other woman is beyond Heero.

Well, to be fair, Dorothy's never tried to hurt Relena. She perhaps wasn't the safest companion for Relena during the war, but Heero has no room to talk there. Mostly, Heero feels indifferent about Dorothy. She still doesn't like the idea of the other woman being their client, though. Obviously, Dorothy's hiring them mostly for her own amusement.

"This will be delightful, working with you both!" Dorothy's smile says that she's honestly pleased by their offer. Relena's offer.

Relena smiles back. "Thank you for giving us this chance, Dorothy." There's a reason why Relena is an excellent politician. Heero never could have said that with a straight face, even if she'd wanted to. Though it might have been worth it just to surprise Dorothy.

Dorothy waves a hand in front of her face dismissively. "Oh please, it's you two who are doing me the favor." Which is nothing but the truth. "I want this dealt with as quickly and quietly as possible, and I know that the two of you will succeed at this task perfectly."

Why is Heero not surprised that this has become a test of their skills? Oh, she has no doubt that Dorothy really does need a security upgrade for her firm, and that there's probably at least one or two people working for her that are also trying to sell information to rival companies for some extra money, but Dorothy could hire any number of private detectives to flush them out. Or just do it herself. She's certainly competent enough.

Instead, Dorothy's asking Relena and Heero to look into the business for her. Heero sighs internally. "We'll have the results back to you next week," she says, instead of responding to Dorothy's mild provocation, knowing that ignoring it will annoy Dorothy more than anything Heero could say.

The look Dorothy sends back at Heero is very amused and even a little fond, surprisingly. "I know you will, Heero. Relena, we're still meeting up for lunch on Tuesday?"

Relena nods. "Of course. I'll see you then."

One positive thing that Heero can say about Dorothy nowadays is that at least the other woman doesn't chatter needlessly when there's business to focus on. Of course, she does have a marketing firm to run. Or several businesses. Heero's not sure exactly how many businesses Dorothy owns, and as much as she thinks it might be interesting to run some checks into the woman and see what she finds, ultimately, Heero doesn't want to pry into Dorothy's life like that. Heero doesn't always get along with Dorothy, but she does reluctantly respect her.

When Dorothy signs off, Relena sits back with a sigh. She looks pleased, like everything's starting to fall into place. Heero supposes that's true enough. "This is just the start we need, Heero."

"Is it?" she asks, though she knows that Relena's right. Dorothy is not only someone who knows their strengths and understands that they can accomplish their job with no oversight from her. She also has enough wealth and influence of her own that giving her approval of Relena and Heero's new business will mean more clients for them.

"Heero," Relena chides, but not seriously. She knows that Heero and Dorothy rub each other the wrong way. Relena then straightens back up in her chair. "So, how do you want to start this?"

Heero thinks about it for a moment, then shrugs. "We need to narrow down our parameters beyond looking into every single employee. I _could_ dig into all of their backgrounds, but we wouldn't find out who's causing Dorothy's problems before next week."

Relena blinks, then smiles. "I think I could narrow down those 'parameters'. How about I visit Dorothy at work before my lunch with her?"

Heero likes the sound of that. No one will suspect that Relena's there for anything other than a friendly visit. "Sounds like a plan."

They don't have offices yet. There's really no need. Instead, Heero's set up all her equipment in a room on the ground floor of Relena's home. There's plenty of open space here, and she can establish a secure surveillance room. Not to mention Heero can technically keep being a part of Relena's security team if she's already going to be spending so much time here. Not that Heero's moving in or anything. She's just been sleeping over the last few days in order to get all of her equipment up and running, waiting for specific parts to be shipped before installing everything exactly how she wants it.

The room she's taken over is the one they're in right now. It has an area filled with couches and chairs, which Heero's using, but there's also a large desk and several smaller chairs in front of the windows. Relena's already commandeered that space. It works out well for the both of them, even though Relena could have used another room entirely.

Heero's almost positive that the main reason why Relena's chosen to remain in this room is for regular access to someone she can talk with. Neither of them are actually used to seeing so few people every day just yet. Relena, Heero knows, is used to press conferences, meetings, and people demanding her attention constantly. Heero's used to the controlled chaos of Preventers, going out on missions and interacting with different teams. With both of them quitting their jobs, their social calendars have cleared up significantly and suddenly.

While Heero doesn't mind the change of pace as long as she has something to occupy her mind with, Relena's already showing signs of being uncomfortable with so little human interaction. She's been arranging outings with Heero, lunches with other friends, even vid calls to those she can't see in person right now. Some of them are business meetings, whether the other person realizes that or not, but most of them are Relena trying desperately to fill up her now less than busy days.

Maybe going on a vacation first would have been a good idea for Relena, rather than Heero. Not that Heero had actually gone anywhere. She'd been thinking about it idly, but when Relena came to Heero with her proposal for them to go into business together, Heero decided to focus her time and energy into that instead. Relena, though, should have gone somewhere else and relaxed for a bit, gotten used to the solitude, before throwing herself headfirst into her new business venture.

Too late now, Heero thinks ruefully. She and Relena have just been hired, and that means they are officially starting up this business. Now, all they have to worry about is succeeding.

That's the one thing neither of them needs any help with, luckily.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When Relena walks into Dorothy's building, she steels herself and smiles. This is what she's here for, she reminds herself, as several employees do a double-take when they watch her pass by their workstations and offices. It doesn't take long before someone comes over to ask if she needs any assistance.

"Thank you," she responds. The man's young and good-looking, and Relena briefly hopes that he was hired for his skills and not his looks. Reminding herself that Dorothy wouldn't be so irresponsible, no matter what kind of front she likes to put up in front of strangers and the media, Relena concludes that although the man looks like a male model, he must work here because he's actually qualified.

And as the person who first walks up to her, he's currently Relena's prime suspect for filtering information out of these offices in order to gain a side source of income. "I'm actually here to visit my friend, Dorothy," she continues smoothly. "Could you direct me to her office?" she asks. Relena doesn't really need directions, since Heero's already shown her a detailed floor plan of the building, but it suits her needs right now to pretend otherwise.

Relena doesn't use Dorothy's full name; she doesn't need to. Everyone around her knows who she means. Relena pays special attention to who comes forward to offer help, and who goes back to their duties instead. Knowing Dorothy, she would very much value the second type of employee more than the first, and not only because those who return to their duties are being more productive.

The first group is naturally going to be made up of the less competent, and those who are angling for more information from Relena. Really, only one person actually needs to take a minute and direct her towards the elevators after telling her what floor Dorothy's office is on. Instead, she has an entourage surrounding her within moments.

"Miss Peacecraft, I saw that press conference! Are you alright?"

"That whole ordeal sounds just dreadful, Miss Peacecraft."

"Was your decision to quit your office because of what happened that day?"

Relena marks the woman who asks that last question as another possible mole, and tries to be polite as she answers all of their questions. "Please, call me Relena," she says. It'll make them more comfortable in her presence, to refer to her as more of a peer and less of an icon, and also, Relena gets irritated when everyone always refers to her as Miss Peacecraft.

The media calls her that, and her previous coworkers always referred to her by that title, so she's not surprised that everyone else does so as well, unless they actually know her. Her legal name is Peacecraft-Darlian, because she decided years ago to honor both her birth parents and the ones who raised her.

That no one ever refers to her by her full name anymore is just a minor source of annoyance that Relena's long-since grown used to, but if she can get a few people here calling her by her first name instead, then she will.

Some of them look taken aback, but a few others crowd closer and smile wider. Relena studies those employees carefully as they all move down the hallway together, and crosses a few of them off of her mental list. They simply look far too star-struck at Relena's presence to be anything but genuinely interested in her. Unless they're faking the enthusiasm, but she can tell by now when someone's actually pleased to see her or just being polite. A few people walking with them while also carefully keeping their distance from her _are_ faking politeness, and Relena's watching those ones closely.

"Oh," Relena exclaims when they finally arrive at the elevators, as if she's just considered something, "I'm so sorry, but could we take the stairs instead? I'd feel more comfortable."

Again, most of the employees following her practically trip all over themselves eagerly agreeing to her request. No one even questions her statement. It's flattering, yet ridiculous at the same time.

"Relena," one of them says, another woman. She's been especially persistent about staying right by Relena's side, but Relena's almost positive that's due more to the other woman trying to assert her seniority and importance than for any truly malicious motive. "Is it true that you and Miss Catalonia have been close friends for years?"

Ah. Someone who thinks she can get ahead by cozying up to Relena, who can of course put in a good word for her with Dorothy. Relena nods. "Yes, that's true," she says. "I'm not sure if we were that close at first, but we've known each other for years at this point, and we've become dear friends." They definitely weren't good friends when they first met each other, but Relena's not going to get into war loyalties right now.

"That's wonderful, isn't it?" The woman, who introduces herself as Charlie Melton, is practically gushing. Not that Relena needed Miss Melton to introduce herself, since Relena memorized Dorothy's list of employees over the weekend. The woman's enthusiasm is reminiscent of when Relena was constantly surrounded by society girls during school. She can't say that she's missed the simpering. "Imagine, the two of you managing to stay friends for so long!"

Relena acquiesces. It is surprising, and wonderful. She follows the growing group of employees through several stairways and hallways, until they finally reach the top floor. Once there, Relena makes her excuses, and everyone else reluctantly breaks away in order to return to their actual jobs.

Well, at least now she has a very narrow list for Heero. Mission accomplished, she thinks with some amusement. Relena makes sure to text the names to Heero before she opens the door and greets Dorothy.

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Heero's phone beeps, and she looks at the list of names Relena's just sent. Heero can't help but smirk at the confirmation that their ruse has worked so well. There's only four names, which she raises an eyebrow at, but Heero trusts Relena's judgment and gets to work hacking into Dorothy's security system for their personal info. It takes her only a few minutes to get through the firewall, and she briefly wonders if Dorothy lowered the security on purpose, but dismisses the thought as irrelevant.

Besides, it's probably just that most company systems use a similar layout, and it's become laughably easy for Heero to circumnavigate them. Still, she obligingly notes what should be changed, and then types up that section of her report while she waits for a few programs she's running to compile the four suspicious employees' financial records.

What she finds isn't exactly surprising. Heero discovers that two of the employees are directly being paid by outside companies on a somewhat regular basis. She copies this information into her report without pausing, since it's simple enough to understand by itself. Further proof that Dorothy could have asked any competent private investigator to look into this matter.

Of the other two, Heero dismisses one of them as being innocent. Well, he's definitely having an affair, but that has nothing to do with Dorothy's company, so it's not her concern. That she sends an anonymous email to his wife detailing his exploits is neither here nor there, but Heero knows that Relena will approve. Even Dorothy will, most likely.

The last name on her list, though, Heero almost sets aside. The woman has no obvious deposits going into her savings account, and her phone records seem clean. All told, she sounds like a model employee, but Heero digs deeper. It takes her a few hours of using different spellings of the same name, and then using the woman's mother's maiden name, but eventually Heero discovers the off-shore account.

Smart, but not smart enough. Heero smirks. She has some more searches to run, and wants to dig into Dorothy's company's security system some more, but Relena's help in sorting out which employees are suspicious means that Heero's basically done now. Technically, they could bring their findings to Dorothy tomorrow, but both Heero and Relena have already discussed that. They've decided to give it the full week, just in case something unexpected comes up.

That, and Heero doesn't want Dorothy to know for sure that Relena's surprise visit was so instrumental in accomplishing their job. Sure, Dorothy will know that Relena was at her building for an ulterior reason besides only visiting, but will Dorothy figure out what their real plan was? It's not like Dorothy's an enemy that they have to keep secrets from, so Heero's not too worried about it if Dorothy does know. Technically, she's their client, so they should be forthright with her anyway. But that doesn't mean Dorothy needs to know their exact methods if she can't figure them out for herself.

Besides, it's Relena's idea that most people should see her as nothing more than the public face, and Heero as the real brains behind their business. The truth is almost the complete opposite, of course, except that both of them are equally essential. The deception will hopefully put people off their guard around Relena, though, which will continue to make her job a lot easier. Besides, they've got far more planned for in the long run than owning a simple security business, and the less people who figure that out beforehand, the better.

When Heero sits back, satisfied for now, she can admit that Relena was definitely right. This was the perfect first assignment for them.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A week later, on the day of their next meeting with Dorothy, Relena and Heero break into her company's main building and sneak inside. Heero says they're doing this to prove that holes in the security for the physical structure of the building exist too. It's something that Dorothy didn't specifically ask them to look into, but also didn't expressly forbid. In truth, Relena thinks that Heero just finds it fun to sneak into the building through a service entrance.

She does have a point about the building's security, though. Heero doesn't even need to black out any of the cameras, just make sure that the two of them move quickly through a short hallway while a camera's turned, and that's very lax.

"Not really," Heero shrugs, when Relena points this very thing out to her friend in an incredulous whisper as they're climbing slowly up the back stairs. "Most companies don't even have real cameras on entrances like that, just fake ones."

The idea of taking so few precautions boggles Relena's mind, and she considers with some amusement that apparently she can be just as paranoid as Heero sometimes. Well, Relena can be a little paranoid, at least, which is close enough. "Aren't there alarms on the stairs, though?"

Heero shakes her head, scoping out the stairway entrances of the floors above to make sure no one's up there for them to run into or be seen by. "If the fire alarm goes off, the doors open." Seeing Relena's confused look, Heero continues to explain. "The doors leading to this service stairway can't be opened from inside the building unless the fire alarm's going off."

Relena pauses. "But… they can be opened from outside?" This makes no sense to her. Who would arrange their security like that?

The look Heero sends her is both amused and approving. "It's not intended for security purposes," she says. "It's to stop employees from trying to skip out on their work without being held accountable. If they could leave through these stairs, a lot of employees would end up disappearing for hours. Since they'd leave through a side entrance, no one would know exactly when they left, or when they returned, and the employee could simply lie and say that they were visiting another department on an errand or something. But if they had alarms on the doors, they would go off every time shipping personnel, or others who only use the service entrances, had to come inside. This way, they're just automatically locked from the inside unless a fire alarm goes off."

Relena blinks. "I suppose so. It still seems silly to me."

"Because it is silly," Heero agrees. With that, they easily make their way up to Dorothy's floor undiscovered, and they walk down the hallway. Relena knocks first, because she knows that Heero would just barge in if Relena let her.

"Come in," Dorothy calls. She sounds preoccupied, but not in a bad way. Simply busy. The look of surprise on her face when she sees Relena and Heero enter quickly changes into something very calculating. "Well now, how interesting that you two are entering my office when no one saw you enter the building."

Heero smirks, and even Relena can't quite keep her face neutral. "Yes," Relena agrees. "We thought it best to give you a practical demonstration of the lacking security in your building."

Dorothy sighs, but waves them over to some chairs in front of her desk. "I should have expected something like this," she admits. "This building is older, and I haven't wanted to renovate the whole structure in order to update the security. How big a priority should I put into changing that?"

It's obvious that Dorothy's speaking to Heero, not her. "It's not terribly important," Heero admits, which surprises Relena. "You'd have to rewire the whole building in order to install anything truly worth spending money on, and the likelihood of your building being broken into after hours is minimal. The reason you hired us is because you know that your real concern should be your own workers."

Relena thinks that through. It makes sense, she allows. Dorothy only nods, like she expected that response. She's obviously thought it through already, but still wanted Heero's input. "I'm glad to hear your professional opinion," Dorothy says, and Heero smiles back. Relena loves it when the two of them are getting along.

"We have the rest of our report," Relena says, handing over a folder. Though they'll send her an electronic copy later, Relena knows that Dorothy is old-fashioned and prefers a printed copy in front of her to read.

"Marvelous," Dorothy exclaims, though her attention is already mostly on the report. She skims through the info on the first page, which explains Heero's suggestions on how to improve the computer security system. Relena doesn't know how much of it Dorothy understands, and most of it she figures would probably have to be implemented first in order to really understand the projected results. Dorothy then flips to the second page.

Obviously, this is the part that Dorothy's most interested in, and her eyebrows climb up her forehead dramatically as she reads. "Only two?"

"Only two that we caught," Relena agrees. She's reasonably certain that they're the only two spies in this building, but Relena doesn't want to absolutely commit to that response unless Dorothy makes her. "We also found out which companies they were selling information to, and included their names."

Dorothy smiles as she turns the page and reads further on. "I see you also uncovered an infidelity and informed the spouse?"

"Yes," Heero agrees. Something in her tone says that she refuses to apologize for sending that information along.

Her tone makes Dorothy laugh delightedly. "Oh, I'm not scolding you for it. I just find it amusing." What exactly about that Dorothy finds amusing, Relena doesn't know. "So," Dorothy continues, closing the folder and bracing her chin on her folded hands, "you two are managing to work together very well."

It's not a question, but Relena nods anyway. "Yes, it's been wonderful." She smooths out a fold in her pants. "In fact, we were wondering if perhaps you'd like to join our company."

Dorothy manages to look surprised, even though Relena's almost positive that she was expecting this offer. "Oh? And how could I help the two of you?"

"Contacts," Heero answers succinctly. "You have a lot of connections, and can recommend us to them."

Dorothy leans back in her chair, and taps her fingers against the desk. "That is a good point," she agrees mildly.

Relena sighs. "You're not going to join us, are you?"

She gets a sharp and approving smile for that. "Not yet," Dorothy says. "Don't get me wrong, I'll be more than happy to recommend you two any time the opportunity comes up. You performed to my expectations, and then succeeded them, which isn't an easy thing to do." Her gaze turns calculating again. "But that's not the only reason why you want my influence, is it?"

They both stay silent, which is just as good as a confession.

Dorothy flips her hair over one shoulder. "Whatever the two of you are up to, I think I'll wait a bit and see what you plan next before I commit to anything."

It's unusually subdued of Dorothy, which means she's sussed out that whatever they plan on doing is going to have lasting consequences. Relena smiles at her friend. "Thank you, Dorothy." For giving them this chance, and for being smart enough to wait before she decides one way or the other, instead of condemning them both right now.

They all spend the next few minutes talking through the details of the report, and Relena lets Heero take over to go into more detail about the security changes she thinks Dorothy should implement. Surprisingly, Dorothy offers Heero a commission for coming in and upgrading the computer system herself, and Heero agrees eagerly.

When they leave, this time through the front doors, Relena almost feels like skipping. This was the first real step in her plans, and it was an absolute success. She restrains herself from appearing too excited, though.

"That went well," Heero says, mirroring Relena's thoughts exactly.

She nods. "I think," Relena says, "that it's time for me to call some of my old contacts as well."

Getting new business with Dorothy's help is all well and good, because of course expanding their reputation is necessary, but Relena thinks it's time to also pursue another angle of her plans. She knows a lot of paranoid government officials who will be thrilled to accept her security recommendations. They hardly need to know that the security checks and upgrades Heero performs will also be used to gather incriminating information that those same officials would much rather never see the light of day.

They don't need to know this yet, anyways.

Heero glances over at Relena's falsely innocent expression and huffs in response, clearly amused. "If you think that's the right next step," Heero agrees, not bothering to hide her own eagerness. Relena knows that Heero's been looking forward to this as much as she has. "It sounds entertaining."

Doesn't it just, though?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Their next job is for Mr. Sennit. Technically, Governor Sennit, an older gentleman who has asked Relena out with consistent frequency over the years. The fact that he was married for a large portion of that time never seemed to deter him any. Relena might be being a little petty when she chooses him as their second real client, but he's also one of the loudest and most influential politicians who's for raising taxes on the colonies.

Relena arrives at the man's home at the appointed hour, and immediately has to stop herself from gritting her teeth at the look of pity mixed with condescension that Governor Sennit greets her with. Of course, he likely sees her quitting as a false cover. Most of parliament probably thinks that the speech Relena gave was a cover-up meant to hide her being demoted, or something similar. It doesn't matter to her. Relena said what she meant to, and that part of her career is over now anyways.

Now, she extends her hand and fights not to wrinkle her nose at Governor Sennit's overly-friendly handshake. He seems to take a great delight in holding onto her hand with both of his. "Miss Peacecraft, what a delight!"

Still with that damn title. It's annoying, but there's no way in hell that Relena's asking him to call her by her first name. "Governor Sennit," she greets. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me." Like the man hasn't been constantly asking to see her outside of parliament business for years. She plays nice, though. For now.

"Not at all, my dear," he says, no doubt trying to sound solicitous, though he only manages dismissive. "I'm honored that you've agreed to help me out."

To help him out because Governor Sennit has dealt with two break-ins during the last three months alone, and he's starting to get increasingly paranoid about his home security. Especially since it's likely that proof of all of his incriminating bribes to certain influential parties that are helping to keep him in office, and of course records of his personal dalliances and the money that he spends on them, are recorded on one of his home computers somewhere.

In fact, Relena knows that they are. She had Heero check quickly while she was breaking into the man's home for the second time, just in case Governor Sennit is smarter than he seems.

Luckily, he isn't.

"Certainly," Relena says, falsely earnest. "Anything for a friend." She takes her hand back as unobtrusively as she can manage, forcing herself to make the gesture look natural, and she keeps the smile on her face through sheer force of will.

"Well then, why don't you come on inside?" Governor Sennit actually takes one of his now-free hands and presses it against the small of her back in order to physically push her along.

Relena digs in her heels and gives him a slightly puzzled look, instead of the glare that she actually wants to send his way. "Oh, but shouldn't we wait for my partner?"

She can visibly see Governor Sennit jumping to the wrong conclusion, and has to fight not to roll her eyes. Honestly. He swallows visibly, and then smiles at Relena with extreme effort. "Your, uh, partner? I wasn't aware that you'd met someone."

Relena shakes her head, laughing lightly. "Oh no, not _that_ sort of partner. My business partner! She takes care of upgrading our client's security systems when that's required."

Governor Sennit looks incredibly relieved, though he's trying not to show it. "I see. Forgive me, but when is your business associate supposed to get here?"

Relena makes a show of pulling out her phone and glancing at it to check the time. "Actually, she should have arrived when I did." Which Heero did, since they came here in the same vehicle. "I don't know where she is." Technically true at the moment.

Governor Sennit clearly sees an opportunity, and isn't about to waste it. "I doubt she'd want you to stand here on my front step and wait. Why don't you come inside, Miss Peacecraft, and sit down for a bit? We could talk."

He definitely has little interest in actually talking, Relena knows. She nods anyway. "Yes, she'll let me know when she arrives, I'm sure."

Relena has to deal with Governor Sennit's hand returning to its position against her spine, and she fights the urge to walk faster just to get away from his touch. The last thing she wants is to appear eager. Instead, Relena forces herself to walk sedately in the direction he maneuvers her, which is down a hallway and through what is clearly a formal sitting room, and then beyond that to another room, this one filled with windows along one side that are letting in the afternoon sun.

When Relena walks through the doorway, she smiles. She quickly moves forward a couple of steps, and then turns around just in time to watch Heero jump out from a corner and tackle Governor Sennit to the floor. He doesn't even have the time to shout out before Heero's hand is squeezing his windpipe and she has a knife pressed against his throat.

The look of appalled horror on Governor Sennit's face is entirely worth the effort it takes Relena not to laugh. She takes a careful breath instead, and then delicately clears her throat, breaking the silence. "Heero, so you've arrived."

Both of them are maintaining the fiction that this altercation wasn't planned out beforehand. Heero shrugs carelessly. "Your security system is abysmal," she informs Governor Sennit blandly.

The man makes a sort of wheezing noise, and Heero glances up at Relena questioningly. She sighs regretfully, but nods. After all, they're not here to kill the man. Heero takes the knife away, and is on her feet an eye-blink later, the knife no longer even in sight. It's impressive, and Relena can't really blame Governor Sennit for staying right where he is and not even attempting to move.

Relena walks forward to stand beside Heero, and smiles down at the man apologetically. "This is my partner, Heero Yuy," she introduces. "I'm afraid that she can sometimes have a rather… hands-on approach to proving why her assistance is required, but she's also not wrong. Are you hurt?"

Neither of them makes any effort to help as Governor Sennit slowly climbs back to his feet. Relena is highly amused that he makes sure to keep her between himself and Heero at all times. "Yes," he says, voice a little hoarse, "well, that was certainly… informative." He clearly struggles to regain his composure, taking a moment to brush ineffectually at the many wrinkles now in his clothes.

After he straightens back up, Governor Sennit awkwardly clears his throat and tries to smile at Heero. It comes out as a slight grimace. "Lovely to meet you, Miss Yuy."

Heero nods at him briefly. "Where's your main home computer?" she asks bluntly. When Governor Sennit falters and only stares at her in response, Heero adds, "Someone has broken into your home multiple times, correct? But nothing was taken. It's more than likely then that what they were really after is information. I need to check your computers and make sure that nothing has been tampered with."

This idea clearly hadn't occurred to Governor Sennit before, because now he looks very alarmed. Perfect. "Heero also needs to use your computers in order to install a few apps for the new security system," Relena adds helpfully.

"Ah," he says faintly, obviously feeling off-balance from everything that's happened to him in the last five minutes. Which is the reason why they ambushed him like that in the first place. "Yes, of course," he agrees hastily, when Heero starts to glare at him. "Right this way."

Governor Sennit leads them into his office, after he types in the password and holds his thumb to the scanner in order to unlock the door. Relena has to hide her look of disbelief. She can't believe that he actually let them inside so easily. He really doesn't see Relena as a threat at all, even with Heero here as well. What a mistake.

Heero's already breaking into the man's computer files; no doubt memorizing, copying, and stealing data faster than it can scroll across the screen. A USB drive is plugged into the computer, downloading everything she deems potentially incriminating.

"Is this your only computer?" Relena asks. It definitely isn't. She watches Governor Sennit briefly weigh the option of keeping quiet vs. angering Heero if she finds out that he lied before he eventually reluctantly shakes his head. "No, I have a personal laptop."

He stresses the word personal, as though that's going to stop them from asking for it. Heero doesn't even turn around. "Bring it here. I can install custom spyware on it while I'm doing this."

What Heero's doing isn't really clear even to Relena, but she knows it's damning. Governor Sennit looks askance at Relena, and she makes sure that her answering smile is supportive and guileless. He eventually nods and leaves the room. The second he's gone, Relena runs to the files on his desk, pulling out her phone and taking photo after photo of anything that looks interesting. Then she quickly browses through the books and files covering the shelves around the room.

"Do you think he has any hidden spaces in the walls?" Relena asks, because she wouldn't necessarily notice something like that but she knows that Heero would.

Heero shakes her head. "No. The walls are too thin."

It takes several long minutes for Governor Sennit to return and hesitantly hand over his laptop. Heero opens that up as well, while Relena makes sure that her phone is safely hidden away.

Heero installs the new security system, along with some apps that will automatically download all of Governor Sennit's computer activities into a folder on one of Heero's own computers. The two of them leave an hour later knowing that they've uncovered all of the man's current secrets, and even have the means now to immediately find out about any new ones.

Governor Sennit tries to keep them there longer. Or, at least, he tries to keep Relena there longer. Both of them cite a previous engagement, but Relena promises to get in contact with him some other time. Although he attempts to look disappointed, Relena knows that Governor Sennit's very relieved to see the last of Heero. The entire time that they were in the man's home, he barely looked away from Heero while they were in the same room, as though he was afraid that she was going to tackle him again if he dropped his guard for even an instant. While this was an excellent distraction, not to mention highly entertaining for her, Relena knows that his constant attention irritated her paranoid friend.

Sure enough. "He was annoying," Heero says when they finally leave.

Relena snorts. "You didn't have to deal with his hands."

And with that, they've got Governor Sennit completely in their pockets, even if the man's too oblivious to figure out this fact just yet.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It's months later, and now the two of them have several more clients, including a business entrepreneur that needs brand new tech installed in his restaurant. While at first Relena is hesitant to accept his offer, since she can't really see any advantages to helping him, Dorothy is the one who introduced him. Dorothy's recommendation is invaluable, and when Relena realizes that the man's opening up a rather high-class restaurant that very important people will no-doubt visit and relax in, she and Heero gladly take him up on his offer. He's becoming more influential by the day, and is very indebted to them.

The real coup is their first client from the colonies. She's a business owner from L3 who wants some rather questionable shipments to be guarded while in transit. Relena assures her that their security team will handle everything, and Heero does. She flies the shipments herself, and that means she has plenty of time to inspect their contents and acquire proof of their existence. There's nothing truly awful inside, just items being shipped without going through customs so that they aren't taxed, which Relena really can't blame the woman for. Still, she'll tell her friends how reliable their business is, and then they'll get more offers from colonials.

It's the week after they take her on as a client that Quatre calls them. "Heero. Relena. How are you both doing?"

Relena smiles. She's genuinely happy to see Quatre's face on the vid screen, and she can tell that Heero is too. "Just fine," she answers.

"We've been busy lately," Heero adds. "And you?"

The look Quatre gives them is faintly sheepish. "Very busy, yes."

Being a fellow workaholic, Relena has no doubt that even on the rare days when Quatre might have some free time, he probably also has a few side projects to occupy his time with. He likely takes a vacation about as often as she or Heero does. "I'm glad that you have some time now to chat with friends, then," Relena says truthfully, even as she's politely hinting for Quatre to tell them what he's calling about.

Heero's much more blunt. She just shoots him a look, and asks, "What's this about, Quatre?"

Quatre sits back and sighs, but he's smiling at them. "I could just be calling to be social," he chides, but not seriously. Seeing their dual looks of disbelief, he laughs. "Okay, okay." Quatre leans forward suddenly, and just like that, he's all business. "What are the two of you up to?"

Relena is only surprised that he hasn't asked them that question months ago. Heero snorts. "You must have some idea of the answer already, or you wouldn't be asking," Heero points out.

True enough. Quatre nods in agreement. "Yes, but I want to hear what you two _think_ you're doing."

Does he really believe that they're in over their heads? No, Relena doesn't think so. Quatre would never underestimate her or Heero like that.

There's no real reason to keep Quatre in the dark. In fact, it would be immensely helpful to have him unequivocally support their growing business. Glancing over at Heero, Relena can tell that she's fine with Quatre being told the truth. Considering that he's one of the few people Heero trusts completely, that's not surprising.

With that in mind, Relena looks Quatre square in the eyes, and says, "We're building up enough influence and power so that no one can get in our way when we move to unify all of humanity."

Relena's a little disappointed that Quatre manages to keep his expression neutral, though she's amused to note that he doesn't have an immediate response ready. Heero casually leans back against the desk beside Relena and crosses her arms, both of them waiting. Eventually, after a few long seconds of silence, Quatre sighs heavily, and his face loses its impassive mask.

"That's a little more ambitious than I thought you were aiming for," he admits. "But I agree that it's unfortunately necessary. The way things are going now, we're headed for another war, and sooner rather than later." Then, surprisingly, he chuckles. "If nothing else, you two will give everyone something else to worry about."

Heero smirks. "You want to help?"

"Do you need my help?" Quatre retorts, smiling.

Relena shakes her head. "No, we don't. Heero and I can manage by ourselves for now. Eventually, though, we're going to be conducting a lot more business in the colonies, and anyone that can put in a good word for us with their business associates would be appreciated."

"I understand," Quatre reassures them both. "I'll help out in any way that I can, you both know that." He'll help because they're old friends, and because he agrees with their plans, and because it's better for his company to take an active interest now in what Relena and Heero are up to, as opposed to waiting a few years before investing in them.

"Thanks," Heero replies. She pauses, then flatly says, "You called us today because you're bored, didn't you."

The insightful comment makes Quatre's grin turn sheepish again. "Terribly," he admits. "This is the most interesting conversation I think I've had with anyone all year."

Relena can relate. "Feel free to get in touch with Dorothy, if you'd like. She's helping us, too." The slightly pained spasm that crosses Quatre's face is hilarious.

"I think not," he answers dryly. Quatre abruptly changes the topic. "Heero, you should talk to Wufei about this, you know."

Heero raises an eyebrow. "Do you think that he'll agree with our plan?"

Quatre shrugs. "I think Wufei won't disagree, per se, and he'll have contacts that I don't." Contacts within the branch offices of Preventers on the various colonies, he means.

Relena has to admit that it's a good idea. She nods. "We'll do that," she assures him.

"Good." They hear a sudden knock coming from Quatre's end of the call, and he turns his head towards the sound. "I'm afraid that I'm out of time for the moment," he says, and he looks truly regretful. Relena knows that Quatre would much rather discuss their plans some more than take care of whatever matter his assistant is calling to his attention.

Heero leans forward. "We understand," she says, clearly not bothered by the interruption. "Have fun."

Relena's almost positive that she sees Quatre pout briefly. "I'm sure I won't," he admits. "Please tell Wufei that I say hello, and that I'll try to talk with him again soon." And with that, Quatre signs off.

"I'm glad he called," Heero says into the new silence.

Relena agrees. "I've been wondering when he would, actually," she confesses.

Heero shrugs. "He was probably waiting for a free spot in his schedule, or he wanted to see if we'd contact him first."

"Ah." That sounds like Quatre. "He didn't really seem all that shocked by the plan."

"Of course he's not," Heero agrees. "It's just about the only thing that might save us all."

Relena laughs, startled. "So, no pressure, right?"

"You'll be able to pull it off," Heero says. "Even Quatre agrees, or he would have said something just now."

Her voice is confident, and Heero's belief in Relena is reassuring. Yes, she can do this. She has to. She's already started down the path of no return.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Later that week after speaking with Quatre, Heero texts Wufei in order to arrange another vid call, letting him know that she and Relena want to talk with him.

 _01\. 24261515 418719 9 71494 2030._

 _(01. Call with R Tmrw. 20:30.)_

Wufei, having no doubt already heard about Heero and Relena's new business venture, must be intrigued because he messages her back within a minute with a confirmation.

 _05\. 2621211891426718522._

 _(05. Affirmative.)_

Sure enough, when Heero and Relena turn the vid screen on at the appointed time, they already have a call waiting from L4. Knowing that it is extremely unlikely to be Quatre contacting them again so soon, although Heero wouldn't put it past him, she connects the call expecting to see Wufei.

She's half-correct. "Agent Parks?" Heero asks in surprise. "What are you doing there?" The last time that Heero remembers seeing Agent Parks is when the man was waiting to be questioned by the Preventers Board of Professional Review during her inquiry.

Agent Parks quirks half a smile at her in greeting. He looks tired. Heero can't help but frown at the new lines of stress that she can just make out on his face through the connection. He starts to say, "It's great to see you again, Agent-"

"Heero," she interrupts, correcting him. "I'm not a Preventers agent anymore." And she definitely doesn't want to be referred to by him as Miss Yuy.

That gets her another smile, this one more sincere. "Yes, ma'am," he says. She mock-glares at him for that, although the effect is somewhat ruined by Wufei and Relena both stifling amused chuckles.

"How are things going with you, Wufei?" Heero asks, pointedly moving the conversation along and ignoring their amusement.

Wufei waves a hand idly, still smiling. "Fine. Busy as usual, but at least I'm not in the middle of an important case this time. How goes the new business?"

It figures that Wufei would want to skip the small talk as much as Heero does. She approves. "Right on schedule," she affirms.

Relena nods. "Yes. In fact, we're thinking of expanding our clientele in space. Quatre has already talked with us and agreed to lend a hand, but he also recommended that we get in touch with you."

Wufei quirks an eyebrow at that. "Interesting."

"He says hello," Heero mentions, before she forgets to pass along the greeting. Not that Quatre would be angry at her for forgetting, but Heero doesn't want to accidentally hurt the feelings of one of the only people whose opinions she cares about.

"Of course he does," Wufei says, sounding fond and exasperated in equal measure. "Never mind that we talked less than two weeks ago."

Heero can't say that she's surprised, and hides a snicker. Quatre's overly-polite manners are often a source of amusement to the rest of the Gundam pilots, considering that his politeness never stops Quatre from doing what he must. "Did he tell you to expect a call from us?" she asks, curious.

"He may have hinted at it," Wufei agrees. "What specifically do the two of you want my help with?" Underneath his question, of course, is the unspoken observation that Wufei's unique skills are highly specialized, and not for working towards peace.

Relena's smile is purposely innocent. Judging from the look on Wufei's face, he doesn't buy it any more than Heero ever does. "Nothing much, really. Only that we could use some friends among the Preventers. Of course, Sally and Une are our friends, but neither of them is stationed in space."

Neither of them is an ex-Gundam pilot, either, though Heero knows that both of them are formidable fighters. Wufei knows this, too. The look he gives them at Relena's answer is sharp and searching. "You-"

"I'll help," Agent Parks interjects. Wufei frowns at being interrupted, but he lets the other man lean forward and speak. "I'd prefer to help more directly, but I'll absolutely help you two with whatever you need."

"Thank you," Relena says, and Heero nods in agreement, "but what do you mean by 'directly'?"

Agent Parks exchanges a look with Wufei, who inclines his head slightly in encouragement, and then he turns his attention back to them. "What I mean," Agent Parks explains further, "is that I'd like to quit Preventers and come work for your company."

Heero isn't expecting that response, and since Relena's never met Agent Parks before, she obviously isn't either. Because of that, both of them are speechless for long enough that Wufei coughs into his hand. Agent Parks looks a little happy to have caught them off-guard, and patiently waits for their decision.

It's because of those old rumors about the two of them, of course. Heero doesn't know why she didn't put it together when she first saw Agent Parks in Wufei's office. Agent Parks must have transferred to the colonies in order to get away from the gossip. Either that, or he was sent there by Une. Heero doesn't feel guilty about it, because what happened certainly isn't her fault, but she is sorry that Agent Parks got caught up in the middle of everything. The last eight months obviously haven't been especially kind to him.

"If you'd like," Heero says finally, "we'll take you on." Really, she can't say anything else. Agent Parks is a very competent agent, and he could be very useful in the security side of their company. Besides, if he's that miserable in Preventers now, then he deserves the option of quitting for a different job.

Relena adds her agreement to Heero's, and Agent - no, just Parks now - nods gratefully at both of them. "Thanks," he says. "It might take me a few weeks to pack up and convince the wife to move again, but I'll be there."

Heero hopes that his wife will be fine with her husband's decision, and that he talks it over with her first before officially quitting his job at Preventers, but it's not Heero's problem, so she doesn't ask. Let him take care of his own personal life.

"Now that that's all settled," Wufei says, still watching Heero and Relena carefully, "perhaps you two could enlighten me on why you need more contacts in Preventers and space." His tone makes it clear that this is closer to a demand for information than an actual question.

Not that either of them are planning on withholding the requested information from Wufei. Relena sighs and drops the innocent act. Heero watches in amusement as Parks does a double-take at Relena's suddenly hard expression. "I want peace," she says.

Heero sits back and lets Relena make her pitch. Even all these years later, humanity's peace is definitely still a sore topic for Wufei, and his eyes are slowly narrowing. But he remains calm, and he listens patiently to Relena, which is all that Heero could want for now.

At Wufei's continued silence, Relena speaks on. "I don't want another war to tear humanity apart again. Do you?"

That was a calculated dig. Heero watches the slight twitch of Wufei's eyebrows at that. He crosses his arms. Parks has leaned back, and is, like Heero, obviously intent on staying out of this for the moment. "And how do you propose to stop people from acting on their natural instinct to war against others?" Wufei asks eventually.

It's a very valid point. Relena doesn't blink, though. "By ensuring that all of humanity becomes the same people, of course, leaving them with no one to fight against."

Wufei stares silently for a long minute, his eyes clearly measuring Relena's determined expression. Eventually, he sighs, and reaches up to nudge his glasses out of the way so that he can rub at his eyes. "And you really believe that something like this is going to work? People have little problem with fighting their own neighbors."

Relena smiles. "That's why all of our clients so far have been those of considerable influence." The people that are perfect to blackmail, and perfectly overconfident in their own power. Easy enough for Heero and Relena to arrange safety precautions in their security systems that will allow them to be easily shut down if necessary. Relena doesn't say all of that out loud, of course, but Wufei certainly picks up on at least some of it if the reluctant huff of amusement he lets out is any indication. "I know it's not a miracle cure," Relena adds on quickly, "but people _are_ less likely to start another war if they know that it will directly affect them negatively."

True enough. Parks' eyebrows have flown up his forehead, and he's eyeing Relena with a bit of reasonable trepidation now. "You can change your mind," Heero tells him, now that he understands more about what he's getting himself into.

Parks shakes his head slowly. "Wouldn't miss it," he assures Heero, though he still looks a little shocked.

Relena looks inquiringly at Wufei, silently asking whether he has any more questions for her. Wufei inhales sharply through his nose, but nods firmly. "I'm not sure that I agree with you," he warns them.

"But you don't disagree, either," Heero adds, amused all over again at Quatre's ability to accurately predict the reactions of his friends.

Wufei smiles sharply. "Exactly. Besides, if nothing else, watching you two try this will be interesting."

Knowing that Wufei considers 'interesting' to be both a blessing and a curse, Heero reflects that sometimes she and her friends are not the nicest people. She shares a look of dark amusement with him, agreeing. Whether she and Relena succeed or not, the process will definitely be interesting.

"Thank you, Wufei," Heero tells him sincerely.

"You two had better not mess this chance up," Wufei tells them both. Heero's well aware that he will be one of the first people to oppose them if they do.

"We won't," Relena replies.

After that, the four of them spend a few minutes going over exactly how Wufei can help Relena and Heero out, and also describing for Parks what his new job will entail. Heero briefly brings up the idea of them simply having Parks set up another office on L4, but if he's going to be helping her out with security jobs, even Parks admits that he might as well live nearby.

By the time they hang up, Heero and Relena have definitely gained some new allies. Even more importantly, they now have the blessing of one of the few people who could have become a serious threat if he'd instead chosen to oppose them.

Knowing this, Wufei's agreement to help them comes as a huge relief to Heero, and one glance at Relena's face tells her that her friend feels the same.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Well," Noin says when she answers Relena's vid call, "at least it didn't take you as long to get in touch with us this time." She looks faintly concerned, but mostly amused.

Relena smiles. "I do have more free time on my hands now." She waits a moment, but it seems as though she's picked the perfect time for this call. Her brother hasn't announced his presence yet, so he must be busy elsewhere. "How are things going, Noin?"

"Everything's good here," Noin reassures her. "And you? What are you up to nowadays, Relena?"

That's her opening. Relena doesn't give herself time to second-guess, and says, "Nothing much. I've started up a new business."

As expected, Noin's surprised by this news. "What sort of business?"

Relena arranges her hands so that they're folded neatly in her lap. "Security for homes and businesses, and personal investigations."

Noin lets out a sharp whistle at her response. "Nothing like keeping yourself busy," she says.

That startles a laugh out of Relena. "A little bit," she admits, though Noin's hardly one to talk.

"Who's working for you?" Noin asks. She knows that Relena's a capable person, but her strengths aren't readily apparent when considering the idea of personal security.

Relena pauses. "Well, technically, we now have an ex-Preventers agent working for us, but we're mostly focusing on expanding our clientele for now."

At that, Noin raises an eyebrow. "We?" she asks, a little more pointedly. "You have a partner?"

Relena nods. "Yes. Heero." And that's obviously all she needs to say. Noin looks taken aback, but very pleased.

"How did you manage to get her away from Preventers?" Noin asks, folding her hands under her chin and clearly ready to hear the gossip.

"Actually, she quit before I asked her to join me." Relena very much enjoys the look of shock that appears on Noin's face at this piece of information. Relena casually brushes a hand across the fabric of her pants, smoothing out a wrinkle while she waits for Noin to regain her composure.

Noin takes an obviously deep breath. Relena watches her shoulders rise and fall. "What happened?" she asks, concerned now.

Thinking about that mess still makes Relena angry. "A mission went bad, and Preventers opened up an investigation into Heero's actions. Everything got worse from there. It was all over the news here, so your next shipment should contain all the media clips about it."

Shipments to Mars take a year to arrive, and are very costly. The last one left Earth a few months ago, after Relena and Heero had both quit their jobs and started up their new business together.

Noin shakes her head. "What were they thinking?" she asks, but the question is clearly rhetorical. "Please offer Heero my condolences."

Relena nods in agreement. Heero isn't upset about what happened anymore, but she was intensely frustrated while the investigation was ongoing. Relena knows that her friend will appreciate Noin's concern, though nothing can change what happened.

And from what Relena has seen, Heero's still not used to others caring all that much about her personal life. Relena thinks that Heero needs all the positive reinforcement she can get, so Relena will be sure to pass along Noin's message.

"So," Noin says then, eyeing her, "you've finally decided on a new direction, I take it?"

She carefully doesn't ask about what that might entail. Noin seems to want to give Relena the option of keeping quiet about her plans. Relena's grateful that Noin is still willing to place so much trust in her.

That makes what Relena has to say next much easier. "Yes, I'm finally going ahead with my plans," she tells Noin. "I could use your help, though."

Noin smiles. "Of course. Anything you need."

It's funny. When Relena was growing up, the last thing she'd ever expected to discover was that she had an older brother running around somewhere. To this day, he's more of a stranger to her than anything else. But this woman whose face is before her…

Well, Relena doesn't really know what it's like to have an older sister, either, but she thinks this must be pretty close.

"I want to bring the Mars government into the rest of the ESUN," she admits. For now, Relena leaves off that she wants to coalesce everything into one government anyway, eventually.

To her surprise, Noin's response is a soft laugh. "I've been telling Zechs that we'll have to integrate into the ESUN for years now," she confides. "He's been resisting."

"I can't say that I blame him," Relena admits. Not with the way that every other government body seems content to profit off of Mars, but otherwise ignore its independence and existence. "But I need to bring Mars into the fold."

Noin sighs. "I'm with you," she reassures Relena. "But…"

But Relena's brother won't be, is what Noin doesn't say. Relena knows that. He'll be stubborn about joining them just because he can be. "Could we keep this just between us for now, then?" she asks.

Noin blinks in surprise, but then smirks. "Sounds fun. I can't enact any changes in Mars's constitution without your brother having the final say, though," she warns.

"I know," Relena says. "I wouldn't want you to go behind his back to that extent." Which is absolutely true. "But for now, if we could slowly start bridging the gap between Mars and the colonies, at least…"

If the two of them could just lay the groundwork for a few years, eventually Milliardo won't have any real reason to object to the integration.

"For now," Noin agrees. "It's a start."

That's good enough for Relena. She can count on Noin, and her other friends, and eventually, they're all going to change humanity's future into something safe and stable. Or at least more secure than it is now. She'll settle for only that if she has to. As long as they can all become one people, with one voice. If that's all Relena can accomplish in her lifetime, everything they do towards that goal will be worth it.

For now, this will do.


End file.
